If you missed Saturday Night Live with Jennifer Lopez last night, 2/27/10, then you missed an amazingly funny parody of the recent We Are The World remake. I loved the original and used to leave VH1 or MTV on for hours just to watch it over and over back in 1985 (way before the days of the World Wide Web). When I heard about the remake, I couldn't imagine it living up to the original. It turned out to be worse than I thought. Thank you Saturday Night Live for portraying my feelings for We Are The World.

Watch the SNL parody of the "We Are The World" remake:



What did you think of the We Are the World remake? Did you just love this parody?

See also: Goodnight iPad the Video of the Ann Droyd Book Parody
 

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Last week I attended the Toy Fair 2010 NYC at the Jacob Javitz Center in New York. I was overwhelmed with what I saw. I am going to make my first of many Toy Fair posts about the great board games I found. What I love about these are that they are unique and can be played across a variety of ages, which makes them great for family bonding

1. Top Trumps - Do you remember the simple card game war that you probably played while growing up. Top Trumps puts a twist on this classic game. There are packs available in almost any category you can imagine, including Marvel comic heroes, movie stars, animals, sports, Harry Potter, The Simpsons, Hannah Montana and Star Wars. Each card has 5 statistics on the back and when it is your turn, you choose the statistic in which you think you will have a higher number than the other players. These card games have been a hit in The United Kingdom for years now.

2. SET: The Family Game of Visual Perception - The winner of over 25 best game awards, SET is a great game for any age and for families to play together. It can also be played alone. A game of visual perception, players must create sets of cards from varying colors and shapes. "Age is no advantage in this fast paced family game. SET is great fun for the whole family because there is no previous knowledge required." For more great games by this company, check out the SET Enterprises website.

3. StoryTellers Game - A great game for friends, families or school. Three to Five players create a story by choosing game cards that describe different elements of the story. For ages 10 and up, StoryTellers won the 2007 Game of the Year Award from Creative Child Magazine. 

4. Triviathon - A game in which you will learn trivia, but don't have to know the answers to win. The questions all have to do with how many spaces on the game board to move, or what color space to move to. The trivia questions have colors or numbers as their answer, so even if you just guess, you can still do well. A winner of many parenting awards, Triviathon allows people of all ages to play together. See a full review of Triviathon.

5. Would You Rather...? - The classic version is for ages 12 and up. There is also a Would you Rather for kids for tweens 7 to 12. This type of question game has become very big among teens, so wouldn't you rather them have this game with pre-approved questions. A game of bizarre questions, Would You Rather will get everyone talking, thinking and laughing.

6. I've Never teen version - A similar game to the one above, this game for 12-18 years olds contains appropriate questions, unlike the questions that they probably come up with themselves without use of this game. You may have seen I've Never played on TV shows such as Lost. Great for groups of teens, I've Never teen version can be played at parties or among a small group of friends.

7. Jungle Speed - For ages 7 through adult, Jungle Speed is great fun for families. Observation and quick reflexes are the only skills required. A fun quick card game that can be taken on the go and played anywhere.

8. Catch Up - The perfect game to connect with your teens. Catch Up was created for players to catch up with what is going on in the lives of their friends and family. This is not a game of winning, just fun and bonding. A portion of the proceeds are being donated to educate school teachers about autism. Somewhat similar to Would You Rather, the questions here are less bizarre and more real life.

9. Wits & Wagers - Another trivia game in which you don't need to fully know the answers, Wits & Wagers has won more awards than any other party game in history. Part trivia, but gambling (not for money), this game can be played by ages 10 and up. All players write their anwers to a trivia question on a wipe off board. You all show your answers and everyone bets on which answer they think is right. For other great games from the makers of Wits & Wagers, see the North Star Games website.

10. Square Shooters - Square Shooters puts a complete deck on cards on 9 dice. Very unique games of poker can now be played with instructions included. Rummy is available for younger players.

11. Sort It Out - The Game of the Year Winner 2010 from the TOTYs (the Oscars of the toy industry), Sort It Out from University Games is a new party game for the whole family. It requires arranging things in the right order, such as events, weights, measurements, etc. For 2-6 players ages 12 and up.

12. Consensus - The winner of many awards, Consensus is a game about opinions, not correct answers. At least 3 players are required since winning each play requires being part of the majority. The original edition is for ages 13 to adult. There is also a junior version for ages 8 to adult, and movie and music versions for ages 17 and up. Currently, Mindlogic, Inc., the maker of Consensus games, is donating 10% of Consensus board game profits to the relief effort in Haiti.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of products that I saw at the Toy Fair 2010 NYC that I want to recommend. So as not to overload you with too much at once, I am saving the non board game products for further posts.

See also:  
10 Games for Teens from Toy Fair 2011
16 Teen and Tween Products from Toy Fair NYC 2010
Roundup of Best of 2010 Lists, Articles, and Video

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This is the 4th post in my series about talking with your teens about diet. I've already written about the Perfect 10 Diet book, The Mayo Clinic Diet book and school lunches, fast food and soda. Another diet book that recently got my attention is The Serotonin Power Diet. Little did I know that boosting serotonin levels, by eating a small amount of carbs before a meal, would help me to eat less overall and therefore lost weight.

From co-author Nina Frusztajer, MD:

One of the reasons many people fail on a weight loss program is feelings of deprivation and an unsatisfied appetite.  Boosting brain serotonin while losing weight can eliminate these major obstacles to weight loss.  The key to effective weight loss is eating serotonin-boosting carbohydrates at the right times of day and in the right amounts to control appetite and, at the same time, maintain a good mood.  This is particularly effective for people who have gained weight on antidepressants.  People who experience stress-related eating, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and hormone-related overeating (PMS and menopause) benefit a great deal as well.

Judith Wurtman, PhD, co-author of "The Serotonin Power Diet", conducted decades of research at MIT on the relationship between dietary carbohydrates, appetite, mood, and weight loss.  Clinical research and a weight loss clinic that implemented the principles of her ground-breaking research formed the basis for the program outlined in "The Serotonin Power Diet which is an easy-to-follow, practical diet for weight loss and weight maintenance.  Forget cutting carbs!  As part of a balanced diet, carbs are a highly effective weight loss tool.  Readers and clients commonly report "This is a program I can be on for the rest of my life!"

The book also includes troubleshooting advice and chapters on meals and recipes to fit into your daily diet. When I thought about it, I did realize that whenever I have bread before a meal, I feel full and have to stop eating way before I am finished. Whether you are looking to lose weight or just be healthy, The Perfect 10 Diet, The Mayo Clinic Diet and The Serotonin Power Diet all seem like sensible diets to follow.

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As much as I enjoyed tonight's Jack centric episode "Lighthouse", it was somewhat of a let down after last week's fantastic episode, "The Substitute". We  didn't get nearly as many answers and there were few surprises. We have know seen 5 years of this 18 hour season.

Los Angeles 2004

1. Jack notices an appendix scar but doesn't remember having his appendix out. His mother told him it was taken out when he was 7 or 8. In the original timeline, Juliet removed Jack's appendix during season 4 in "Something Nice Back Home".

2. Jack has a son, David. We are not shown who David's mother is.

3. Jack's son is reading "The Annotated Alice" by Lewis Carroll. We have already seen other versions of this book in Lost. The season 3 finale was named "Through the Looking Glass". In the season 4 episode mentioned above, "Something Nice Back Home", Jack reads to Aaron from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

4. The house that Jack's mom is living in doesn't look like the same place she lived in the original timeline. This is confirmed when Jack sees that house from the Lighthouse mirror and says he hasn't lived there since he was a young boy. In the original timeline his parents must have moved.

5. "Communication doesn't run in the family". Throughout Lost, nobody ever seems to fully communicate with each other.

6. Did Jack have a drinking problem? When his mother offers him a drink, Jack declines and she says "Good for you".

7. Jack's mom finds his father's will and she asks Jack if he knows a Claire Littleton. So that hasn't changed.

8. Jack finds the key to David's house hidden under a rabbit statue. One of Jack's flashback episode was named White Rabbit and we have seen many other rabbits on Lost.

9. Jack meets Dogen at his son's audition. Did everyone get off the island before it sunk? Was Dogen ever there?

10. Jack realizes that David has been feeling about him the way that he felt about his father and made an attempt to change.

On Island - 2007

Jin and Claire
1. Claire recognizes Jin and frees him from her trap. Jin tells her its been 3 years since they last saw each other.

2. Jin's leg is very injured, he can't walk. Claire takes Jin and Justin to her camp.

3. She is acting just like Danielle but he living conditions are much worse. All she wants is her baby.

4. There is a very creepy bassinet with some type of home made doll inside it.

5. She is convinced that the Others have Aaron at the temple and threatens to kill Justin if he doesn't tell her where Aaron. We find out that Claire had been captured and taken to the temple and they did the same things to her as they did to Sayid, but she escaped.

6.Jin tells Claire that Kate took Aaron off the Island, but she kills Justin anyway. Jin, fearful of what Claire will do, then tells Claire that she was right and Aaron is at the temple. Did he say that because he fears her and wants to get back to the other survivors at the temple, or because he is scared for Kate. Claire then says that it was a good thing that Kate didn't take her baby or she would have to kill her.

7. When Jin asked Claire if she has been alone for 3 years, she tells him she has a friend. It turns out that the friend is MIB or Smokey, now Fake Locke. Is he also the Christian Shepard we've seen on the Island?

Hugo and Jack
1. Jack and Dogen have a little talk and each is honest with each other. Something we haven't seen much on the Island. Jack then honestly tells Sayid about the poison.

2. Hugo and Miles are playing tic-tac-toe. When Hugo gets hungry he goes inside and sees Jacob, who tells Hugo he has a mission for him. Someone is coming to the Island and he needs Hugo to help him find it. (Who?)

3. When Dogen sees Hugo looking at the hieroglyphics in the temple, Hugo says "Just looking cause I'm a big fan of temples, history and Indiana Jones stuff". This is his first pop culture reference of the episode. Dogen tells Hugo to leave, but Jacob (who only can be seen and heard by Hugo) tells him to say that he is a candidate and he can do what he wants. It works and Dogen leaves.

4. When Jacob appears and tells Hugo that Jack must go with him, Hurley tells him that it is impossible to get Jack to do something. Jacob tells him what to say and when Hugo tells Jack that Jacob said the he has what it takes, Jack freaks out and wants to see him. Hurley says that Jacob is dead and he is like Obi Wan Kenobi (Star Wars pop culture reference).

5. They run into Kate but she doesn't want to go with them (and Hugo says she can't anyway), she wants to find Claire. Jack tells her that something has happened to Claire.

6. Hugo apologizes to Jack for "wrecking your game with Kate". Jack tells him he would be a terrible father.

7. They go through the caves area where many of them lived during season one. Jack tells Hugo about seeing his dead father and the empty coffin. Then they see Adam and Eve. Then Hugo says something that many fans has theorized online "What if we time traveled back to the dinosaurs and died and got buried and these skeletons are us?" Many people think that Adam and Eve are Rose and Bernard.

8. While walking Hugo says that he missed these adventures and that "this is cool, very old school, good times". He is remembering his time stranded on the Island fondly.

9. They come upon a lighthouse, which they've never seen before and after Jack kicks open the door, they go to the top.

10. Hugo tells Jack to tell him to stop turning the wheel inside the lighthouse when he reaches 108. (The six numbers added together equal 108).

11. Jack notices that all around the wheel are names, with most of them crossed out (the same as Sawyer saw on a cave ceiling last week).

12. Jack sees his name next to the number 23 and turns the wheel to 23 degrees and sees the house he grew up in, in the mirror. He freaks out and screams "He's been watching us the whole time" and breaks the mirror. So Jacob was able to watch all of their lives from the lighthouse mirror before they ever got to the Island.

13. Afterward, when they are outside sitting apart from each other, Jacob appears to Hugo and tells him that Jack wouldn't have been able to see him anyway. Jacob needs Jack to do something but he must want to do it himself. Jacob also says that he needed to get them away from the temple because someone bad is coming there (WHO?). When Hugo wants to warn the others, Jacob says that it is too late.

According to next week's lack of coming attractions, we will be getting many answers in episode 6 of Lost, Sundown. I am guessing from the name that this will be a Sun or Sun and Jin centric episode. Will they be together in the flash sideways? When will they finally meet up on the Island?

See also: Lost 'Sundown' Episode 6.6 Highlights, Quotes and Questions

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In my last article on the topic of parents and video games, Video Games and Families - Learn and Connect with your Teens, I discussed the benefit to parents of learning about video games as one of bonding with their teens. However, an equally important reason for parents to keep up with video game technology is to understand what their teens are doing. All the major video game consoles have parental control features that you should be aware of and know how to use.

I would have loved to have had parental controls when my sons were younger, especially around the difficult tween or middle school years. It was much more difficult to control what they viewed and played when it meant watching everything they did. Now parents can give their kids space and yet still be in control.

There are various types of parental controls for television viewing, the Internet, mobile phones and video games. The two types that are used for video gaming are those that place limits on the amount or type of usage and controls that limit access to age-appropriate content.

There are three different types of parental controls for the Xbox 360:

1. Xbox 360 Console Control settings - Allow you to control what games your kids can play based off of the ESRB ratings and what TV shows or movies they can watch. These selections are protected with a pass code.
2. Xbox Live Family settings - Enable/disable Xbox LIVE Vision Cam, decide what your kids will play, both on- and offline, decide who your child can communicate with online and control who can see your child's profile or friends list.
3. Xbox 360 Family Timer - Control the amount of time your child uses Xbox 360 on a daily or weekly basis.

You can find directions to set up these parental controls at GetGameSmart.com. I tried setting them up just to see how they worked and it was extremely easy and you are able to set up separate controls for each child in the family. Don't worry if you are not tech savvy, you don't need to be. If you need directions to do this for the Nintendo Wii or Sony Playstation3 and PSP, you can find them on the ESRB website.

A great way for you to discuss and agree on Parental Controls with your kids is to use the PACT provided on the Get Game Smart website. In the PACT you basically spell out the limits you have set up regarding your involvement, your child’s access to the console and Xbox LIVE, what kind of content they are allowed to view and how much time they can spend gaming. This way there will be no surprises for your kids when they are playing. I think the PACT makes the parental controls so much more effective. It is harder for your kids to complain when they agreed on the rules in advance.

If you really want to do all you can to learn, understand and create a safe gaming environment for your kids, sign up for the Get Game Smart Family Challenge.  It will help you make smarter choices about what your children play, browse and watch. You choose the challenges that you feel are right for your family. The challenges include watching a video of tips from experts, a Do You Know Your Gamer quiz and a video on understanding game ratings.

Over time, as your children become tweens and then teens, you will need to adjust the parental controls and PACT. At that time you should take the opportunity to go over gaming and online safety with your kids. Explain to them that even though you are giving them more freedom, they need to know how to use it wisely. The Just for Kids and Tips for Teens sections of Get Game Smart are one way for them to learn. It wasn't easy, but my sons eventually reached an age where I had to relinquish gaming and viewing decisions to them. 

See also: Video Games Teens and Parents Can Play Together

This post is sponsored by Get Game Smart a great resource that helps families make smart, safe choices about kids’ media use - especially video games. 

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Yesterday I attended an amazing workshop for teenage girls and their moms in NYC. It had everything you could want in this type of gathering, and more. The name of the workshop was Life 101: Nurturing Your Best Self. It was one of many workshops presented by The Wonder Girls run by Lisa Bochner. The day started off with a musical presentation and then both moms and teens learned about organization, toxic friendships, nutrition, stress and how to create a personal vision board by experts in these areas. The highlight of the day was a talk by actress Kristen Johnston that was both funny and motivational.

The wonderful women and sessions at this Wonder Girls workshop:

1. Naomi Less, also known as Jewish Chicks Rock, sings about empowerment and positive self-esteem. She performed her incredible song, "The Real Me", for us and discussed the lyrics with the girls. You can hear it yourself here on her website.

2. Jennifer Zwiebel is a professional organizer and has co-authored the book, The Organized Student. She gave both moms and daughters fabulous tips for organizing their things and their lives. She also offers individual organizing sessions and workshops.

3. Jessica B. Levinson, a registered dietitian with a nutrition counseling practice, Nutritioulicious, spoke to the teens about a healthy lifestyle and gave excellent suggestions to the moms on dealing with teens and eating issues.

4. Susan Shapiro Barash, author of Toxic Friends, spoke about the difficulties that tween and teen girls encounter with friends and frenemies and how to deal with them. This is probably one of the hardest things young girls have to deal with and many were very emotional about this topic.

5. Jennifer Edwards teaches stress reduction training and gave us all some tools we can use to reduce stress in our lives. She holds workshops in NYC and writes a blog with advice on stress reduction.

6. Pamela Moss, creator of Inner Vision Portraits helps people to live their dreams and remember who they really are. She showed us how to make a Vision Board, a physical representation of what we want for our future. You can sign up here to receive a free handbook that will help you discover what inspires and empowers you.

7. Kristen Johnston is an actress known for her roles in Third Rock From the Sun, Ugly Betty, Bride Wars, Music and Lyrics and many guest roles on television series, most notably Sex in the City. Although not a mother, she was absolutely wonderful with the girls. She discussed her own youth and how difficult it was being approximately six feet tall from the age of 12 on. She also spoke about an ulcer that caused her to lose a great deal of weight a few years ago. The media began called her anorexic, which horrified her because she would never want to send out that type of message. She spoke to each girl individually about their hopes, dreams and problems and really connected with them. I've been a fan of hers since Third Rock From the Sun, a TV show that my family used to watch together, but I have new respect for her now as an amazing person.

If you live anywhere near New York City, you should check out the upcoming Wonder Girls workshops. They will also be holding a three day camp this June.

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I attended Toy Fair 2010 in NYC this week, and came away with more suggestions for teen, tween and family toys and games than I can handle. It will take me a few days to organize my thoughts on so many great toys. While at the Toy Fair, I visited the booth of the Think Geek catalog, and loved the products that were displayed. There were fun things for people of all ages, but the thing they all had in common were their geekiness. Since geeks now rule, I thought I would share my favorite items.

1. Pogo Sketch iPhone/MacBook Stylus - specially designed for the iPhone screen and the MacBook Trackpad. The iPhone screen only works with your fingers. However, sometimes my fingers are too big for what I want to do. The Pogo Sketch tricks the screen into thinking it is a finger and gives you precision selection. Even better, the Pogo Sketch does not leave finger prints all over your screen.

2. Interactive T-Shirts - These are so cool and there are so many to choose from. Here are my favorites:
Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt - play the guitar on your chest.
Electronic Drum Kit Shirt - Play the drum with your fingers.
Wi-Fi Detector Shirt - A picture of a wii-fi symbol on the front of your shirt lights up to show you and everyone around the current wi-fi signal strength.

3. Nintendo Monopoly - Customized game board featuring Mario, Donkey kong, Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, Star Fox and Wario. Instead of houses and hotels you purchase power-ups and invincibility. Ages 8+. Great gaming families.

There are hundreds of fun geeky toys and other items on the Think Geek website. Check it out. You can search by category, price, person buying for and more. You'll have fun just looking and some of the interesting toys, games, gadgets and other items for sale.

See also: CEA Tech Enthusiast Membership - Great Benefits for Early Adopters who Enroll

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So many new smart phone apps are being created every day that it is difficult to keep up. App developers have not forgotten about the large teen and tween audience. Here are some wonderful apps, all available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, created for the teen or tween audience:

1. MASHiT - Created for and by teen/tween girls. Inspired by the popular fortune-telling M.A.S.H. game, it includes 25 entertaining and colorful "girly" games. This simple to use app is funny and imaginative and great for groups of girls to play together. $.99.

2. Slidz Playlist Pro - An app that allows users to create slideshows with photos, music and swirling visualizations. When you are listening to music on your iPhone, you will now be able to watch a slideshow that you created. You can even import pictures from Flickr and your Facebook account. Not only will teens and music lovers have a ball with this, but parents can use this app to create a slideshow to show off pictures of their family. $1.99

3. DINOSAURS: American Museum of Natural History Collections - Explore the world's largest collection of dinosaur fossils with a tap of the screen. Many pictures and information about six of the Museum's most popular dinosaur fossils, amateur paleontologists can learn the science and stories behind the fossils and share them with others through social networking features. If you actually visit the museum, this app will act as a field guide during your explorations. This is the first in a line of smart phone apps to be created by the Museum. FREE

4. TeenPROM App-Zine - All the hottest trends and coolest looks from prom, parties or any special occasion all available in one place. Created by the editors of TeenPROM magazine, this app includes Sneek Peaks of events such as a video of Twilight's Ashley Greene dishing on prom dresses, Hot Hairstyles, Go Glam How-Tos, Dressing Up, and a Prom Horoscope. $.99.

I hope you found something above that interests you. One wonderful thing about iPhone apps is they are all very low priced, if not free. Not many teen wants are this reasonable.

See also: 
Cool New Apps!
How to Find the Best Apps
4 New iPhone apps for Teens

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I knew we were in store for a great episode tonight. Locke-centric episodes never let us down. In season one, Locke had the 2nd back story, and now he has the 2nd sideways. The dialogue was especially good in 'The Substitute' as there were many excellent quotes. We definitely got answers tonight, but still many questions.

Highlights and Questions from Lost episode 6.4 The Substitute

New Reality Off Island in 2004
1. Locke's life is so much better now. He is engaged to Helen and living in the suburbs in a fairly nice house. He is much happier than he was in his original reality.

2. What is the story with Locke's father. Helen says if they elope they will invite only her parents and his dad??? What does this mean? It can't be the same con man dad that threw him out the window. If he does have a good relationship with his dad then how did he wind up paralyzed?

3. When Helen sees Jack's business card she says "What are the odds of you just running into a spinal surgeon? Who knows, maybe its destiny".

4. John is still working at the box company for Randy Nations, who is still a jerk (Hurley calls him a huge douche). We find out that this time he didn't tell Randy he was going on a walk-about as he did in the original time line. Randy fires Locke for lying and saying he was attending a conference.

5. Hurley, or Hugo Reyes, owns the box company. When he runs into Sawyer he offers to help get him a job.

6. When Locke is at Hugo's temp agency, he meets the supervisor, Rose! She still has cancer now that the Island hasn't cured her. She does a great job at getting him to accept what he can and can't do.

7. I'm not sure, but there was a picture on the wall behind Locke when he was talking to Rose and I think it looked like Desmond and a woman. Anyone else?

8. Locke gets a job as a substitute teacher and appears happy. He runs into a European History teacher in the school lounge and he turns out t be none other than Ben Linus. Wow, there were a lot of crossovers in this episode. Locke's life is intersecting with many of the people from the other reality.

9. Locke decides not to see Jack and gives up on getting his legs fixed. He tells Helen everything. She says that miracles do happen but that she just wants him and they tear up Jack's business card.

Original Reality on Island 2007
1. We see the Island through Smokey's eyes as he moves around at the beginning of the episode.

2. FLocke tells Richard that he chose Locke's body because he knew Locke was a candidate. Richard has no idea what he means. Flocke says he would never have kept him in the dark and tries to get Richard to go with him. Richard refuses.

3. FLocke sees an image of a young boy with blood on his hands. Richard doesn't see him. Who is he? Could he be the man in black as a child? Later, however, Sawyer can see him. Why can Sawyer see the kid but not Richard?

4. Ilana realizes that Richard was taken because FLocke "is recruiting".

5. Flocke goes to the cabin where Sawyer is and finds him drunk and filthy in despair, listening to "Search and Destroy" by Iggy Pop. Sawyer says "I don't care if you are dead, time traveling or the ghost of Christmas past. Get the hell outta my house".

6. After a few minutes, Sawyer can tell that FLocke isn't really Locke because "Locke was scared even when he was pretending he wasn't. You ain't scared".

7. Flocke convinces Sawyer to come with him when he tells him he will answer the question of why he is on the Island.

8. Illana convinces Frank, Sun and Ben that they need to go to the Temple to be safe. She tells Sun that Jin will be there. We still don't know much about Ilana. How does she know so much about the Island and the Others. Was she an other that left the Island?

9. FLocke sees the child again and runs after him. The kids says "You know the rules, you can't kill him" (about Sawyer). Flocke says the most quoted phrases from Lost, "Don't tell me what I can't do". I am assuming that he can't kill Sawyer because he is one of the chosen candidates.

10. While Sawyer is alone, Richard comes to him looking terrified. What does he know that makes him this scared. He tries to get Sawyer to run with him, but Sawyer stays.

11. When Sawyer tells FLocke that Of Mice and Men is his favorite book, FLocke says that it was after his time. The book was published in 1937, so the years he was a regular man had to have ended before then.

12. Flocke tells Sawyer that he's been trapped so long that he doesn't remember what it was like to be free and that he was once a regular man just like him. Was the Man in Black his original body or was he using that one also. How far back does he go? How did he become the smoke monster?

13. Sun, Ilana, Frank and Ben bury Locke's body. Ben memorialized John by saying that he is sorry that he killed him, that he was a believer, a man of faith and a better man man than him. Frank then had a great line "Weirdest damn funeral I've ever been to".

14. Sawyer and FLocke enter a cave. There is an old scale with a black rock on one side and a white rock on the other (the black and white we've seen throughout Lost). FLocke picks up the white rock (which I'm assuming represented Jacob) and throws it into the ocean. When asked why, he says "inside joke". That was either meant as an inside joke between him and Jacob or was done for us because we are always looking for black and white significance in Lost.

15. FLocke points out all the names written into the roof of the cave. The names were written by Jacob. They are all crossed out except six - Locke (4), Ford (15), Kwon (42), Reyes (8), Shepard (23), and Jarrah (16). They are all assigned one of the "numbers" "Jacob had a thing for numbers". FLocke crosses out the name Locke. Why wasn't Kate's name on the wall when she was one of the people that Jacob visited? And is Kwon, Sun or Jin? Flocke explains that these people are candidates to take over Jacob's job of protecting the Island. That Jacob met Sawyer and pushed him to come to the Island, that every choice he has ever made has been made by Jacob.

16. FLocke tells Sawyer that he has 3 options, he can do nothing, he can take the job even though the Island doesn't need protecting, or he can go and not look back. Sawyer asks how and FLocke says together. "Are you ready to go home" Sawyer: Hell Yes. Is FLocke using Sawyer and if so, how?

Next week's, "The Lighthouse", is a Jack-centric Lost episode. I can't wait.

Added: 
Lost 'Lighthouse' Episode 6.5 Highlights and Questions

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Going Bovine, a novel by Libba Bray, recently won The Michael l. Printz Award for excellence in young adult fiction. It is not your typical teen book, and might not be for everyone. However, those that enjoy it will most likely treasure it. I can see this Catcher in the Rye meets Don Quixote meets Donny Darko novel becoming a cult classic.

Going Bovine is a dark comedic comedy about sixteen year old, Cameron, who just wants to get though high school. He doesn't connect with his family or classmates and spends most of his time stoned.  After he begins acting strange, he is diagnosed with Mad Cow Disease, a disease that is always fatal. However, this is where the book turns into a Don Quixote fantasy, and the fun begins.

Cameron goes on a quest with Gonzo, a teenage hypochondriac dwarf, and Balder, a Norse God turned into a yard gnome. The trio go on a wild and crazy, totally surreal, road trip to save the world. Hallucination or real? Referred to as one of the first post-modern books for young adult readers, Going Bovine has received a tremendous amount of critical praise.

Author Libba Bray's writing is what makes this YA novel work so well. Her keen observations, literary references and imagination are top notch. She turned a book about a dying teenager into one of fun, fantasy and hope. I recommend Going Bovine to teens 14 and up and their parents.

See also: Will Grayson, Will Grayson - YA Novel by Two Award Winning Authors

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